finalark
SNORLAX
Link to original post: [drupal=1476]What makes a Classic Game Classic[/drupal]
The world "classic" can hold many meanings, varying from person to person. When talking about video games, so me it means an extremely overrated game that many people love because it was apparently super special awesome back in the day. It really saddens me to say that, but it's true. That is what I think of when it comes to the words "classic." But my ego aside, let's take of a look at what does make a game "classic" in the first place.
One thing that I've noticed is how classics like to reinvent the wheel or add something new. Like how Ocarina of Time invented the targeting system. Even though it kind of sucked, seeing how half the time it considered the small annoying bat flying around my head to be a bigger priority than the giant freak of nature boss that wants to rip out my skull and beat me to death with it. But regardless, it did cause a chain reaction among developers, inspiring them to use a similar targeting system with similar problems. Now that I think about it, the Kingdom Hearts games are the only games I've seen to get targeting right... mostly. But that's for another time.
Something else I would like to bring up is Final Fantasy VII. Relax, I'm not here to completely rip it to pieces while stop-dancing on top of it with golf cleats (you know, like I usually am). I'm here to add another example of classic games doing something new. Some classics are pioneers of the gaming world. Final Fantasy VII was the first 3D RPG (I can't say that with a stright face, I'm sure that there were other 3D RPGs that were out before this one. The only reason why this one gets all of the attention is because it has the words "Final" and "Fantasy" in it's title) and as such laid down the basic rules of early 3D RPGs. Including things such as fixed camera (my favorite!) which would be the bane of many gamers who were trying to figure out where the hell their character was in proportion to everything else. It was also the first game to make killing off a main character original (I can't say that straight-faced either)! Final Fantasy VII basiclly pathed the path for all 3D RPGs of the fifth-gen (and even some from the sixth), crappy fixed camera and all (okay, I guess I kind of picked on it, but just a little).
Now let's move on to a classic that I actually liked. Chrono Trigger was one of those games that did something that had never been done before (well, it probably had been done before just not by a mainstream games), multiple endings for one thing. It also had an inventive system in which you could combine your characters special abilities to deal a good amount of damage to your enemies. I would also like to point out that this is one of the first games to have a well detailed storyline that had decent animations. Before the fanboys bomb me (and I know they will) I would like to say that I KNOW. I KNOW that Final Fantasy IV and V had good stories, I KNOW. But I had a hard time relating to and enjoying story when you had only about five different animations for expressing emotions!
Super Mario Brothers, that's a game that we call all agree has lasting appeal and never gets old. In addition to proving that gaming was more than just a dead fad, it also set a path for all games in general. Just think, where would we be without Super Mario Brothers today? We'd probably be off doing something boring like fishing or sports (ducks).
My only problem with classics is that they spawn clingy fanboys who can't see that there are much better games out there. And while yes, often classic bring something new to the table, often new things are risky, experimental and can blow up in your face at any moment. And so I believe that it's the responsibility of new games to take what the classics have done and make them good.
The world "classic" can hold many meanings, varying from person to person. When talking about video games, so me it means an extremely overrated game that many people love because it was apparently super special awesome back in the day. It really saddens me to say that, but it's true. That is what I think of when it comes to the words "classic." But my ego aside, let's take of a look at what does make a game "classic" in the first place.
One thing that I've noticed is how classics like to reinvent the wheel or add something new. Like how Ocarina of Time invented the targeting system. Even though it kind of sucked, seeing how half the time it considered the small annoying bat flying around my head to be a bigger priority than the giant freak of nature boss that wants to rip out my skull and beat me to death with it. But regardless, it did cause a chain reaction among developers, inspiring them to use a similar targeting system with similar problems. Now that I think about it, the Kingdom Hearts games are the only games I've seen to get targeting right... mostly. But that's for another time.
Something else I would like to bring up is Final Fantasy VII. Relax, I'm not here to completely rip it to pieces while stop-dancing on top of it with golf cleats (you know, like I usually am). I'm here to add another example of classic games doing something new. Some classics are pioneers of the gaming world. Final Fantasy VII was the first 3D RPG (I can't say that with a stright face, I'm sure that there were other 3D RPGs that were out before this one. The only reason why this one gets all of the attention is because it has the words "Final" and "Fantasy" in it's title) and as such laid down the basic rules of early 3D RPGs. Including things such as fixed camera (my favorite!) which would be the bane of many gamers who were trying to figure out where the hell their character was in proportion to everything else. It was also the first game to make killing off a main character original (I can't say that straight-faced either)! Final Fantasy VII basiclly pathed the path for all 3D RPGs of the fifth-gen (and even some from the sixth), crappy fixed camera and all (okay, I guess I kind of picked on it, but just a little).
Now let's move on to a classic that I actually liked. Chrono Trigger was one of those games that did something that had never been done before (well, it probably had been done before just not by a mainstream games), multiple endings for one thing. It also had an inventive system in which you could combine your characters special abilities to deal a good amount of damage to your enemies. I would also like to point out that this is one of the first games to have a well detailed storyline that had decent animations. Before the fanboys bomb me (and I know they will) I would like to say that I KNOW. I KNOW that Final Fantasy IV and V had good stories, I KNOW. But I had a hard time relating to and enjoying story when you had only about five different animations for expressing emotions!
Super Mario Brothers, that's a game that we call all agree has lasting appeal and never gets old. In addition to proving that gaming was more than just a dead fad, it also set a path for all games in general. Just think, where would we be without Super Mario Brothers today? We'd probably be off doing something boring like fishing or sports (ducks).
My only problem with classics is that they spawn clingy fanboys who can't see that there are much better games out there. And while yes, often classic bring something new to the table, often new things are risky, experimental and can blow up in your face at any moment. And so I believe that it's the responsibility of new games to take what the classics have done and make them good.
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